Mike Hass shattered the all-time receiving marks at Oregon State and won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top pass-catcher in 2005. He was an All-American, the leading receiver in the Pac-10 Conference, a guy who made plays and hauled in everything thrown his way.

Yet somehow he's never quite caught on in the NFL, not with the New Orleans Saints who drafted him in the sixth round in 2006, and released him. And not with the Chicago Bears, who picked him up and stashed him on their practice squad for two years, but played him only sparingly on some special teams for one game in 2008.

Now he's taking his shot with the Seahawks and hoping for the best, though he knows the competition is crowded. He caught a touchdown pass in last week's 20-14 preseason victory at San Diego, but needs to open more eyes when Seattle hosts the Denver Broncos at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Qwest Field (KING-5 TV and 710-ESPN radio).

Same story for running back Devin Moore, the all-time leading rusher for the University of Wyoming. With the Seahawks, he's merely an undrafted rookie free agent looking to beat the odds.

Veterans like Matt Hasselbeck and Lofa Tatupu use preseason games as tuneups to a long season ahead. But for guys like Hass and Moore, it's now or never. And now sounds like the better option.

Hass has great hands and is a good route runner, but his speed isn't stunning and he needs to prove he can beat press coverage against NFL corners.

Moore has speed to burn, but at a slender 5-foot-9 and 191 pounds, size is a major question.

Moore knows what he's up against. He's been regarded as too small ever since he began playing the game as a kid.

"It's pretty much been all my life, but I've learned to deal with it and keep pushing," he said. "I'm always up for proving someone wrong. That's my motto."

Hass heard the same stories coming out of high school that followed him into the pros. Great football player, but not fast enough or big enough to make it at the next level. He didn't get any major-college offers coming out of Jesuit High in Portland, so he walked on at Oregon State and wound up with three 1,000-yard seasons and eventually a scholarship.

"I guess I'm kind of used to coming from the back and trying to get to the front," he said. "But that gets old after a while. You don't want to do that every year."

But Moore earned praise from head coach Jim Mora for his toughness in the San Diego game and is ready to put on another show Saturday night at Qwest when his turn comes up, likely in the second half.

"I know a lot of guys look at me like a smaller back and everything and they misjudge me sometimes," Moore said. "But the San Diego Chargers were bringing the wood, laying some hits on me. So I just wanted to show them I could take it and also give it back."

Mora expects to play his starters about half the game Saturday against the Broncos, then turn things over to the backups. And while many fans will lose interest at that point, those final two quarters will be critical to the players battling for roster spots and the coaches who must make those decisions.

"There are a lot of guys (at the receiver position) and all you can do is go out and play," Hass said. "You don't really know where you're at."

Just as at Oregon State, Hass seems to keep making catches in practice. Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp said he's been impressed.

"One thing he's done for us is provide versatility because he's been able to play outside and the slot position for us," Knapp said of Hass. "His biggest strength is he has a good feel for windows (open space in the opposing defense). And he sets up guys well.

"The toughest hurdle to overcome is managing press and bump coverage. He's really worked on that in one-on-one drills and our third-down packages."

Moore also has shown some skills.

"Devin is getting better each time he gets out there," running backs coach Kasey Dunn said. "He's a flashy runner. He can really run, it's just a matter of him coming out and making sure he executes the plays the right way. But that's expected of all rookies.

"That's the only thing that just keeps him from really shooting up. He's a good player and as soon as he knocks down the assignments and the playbook he'll be special, because he's got a lot of ability.

"As soon as he plays without thinking and just runs free, he'll be pretty good."